Propulsion
by screennameless
Summary: Sometimes people need a little extra push. Set during ME2, pre-Collector Invasion, pre-Suicide Mission, and pre-Arrival.
1. Propulsion

_As an aside: I thoroughly recommend that you read this first chapter in an exaggerated mental Scottish accent._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - Propulsion<strong>

I never was a big fan of shore leave.

Oh, sure, there's something to be said for the free time, and I certainly don't mind the chance to get away from the gossip of the crew. I swear, there's something incestuous about it, being locked up in such a cramped space with the same people for so long. It gets in your head; it really does.

But it's such a strange sensation to be groundside, y'know? With one foot in the Normandy's airlock and one on the metal platform of Citadel Dock D24, I just feel oddly... empty. There's something so _lacking_ about solid ground: no subtle shifts in the gravity, no gentle background hum from any machinery, no vague sense of forward momentum. No... propulsion.

Eum, so to speak.

But before I can follow _that_ dangerous train of thought any further, a shove at the small of my back sends me clanging face-first into the dock. My duffel bag thwaps on my back, knocking the wind from my lungs. The crew snorts as I gasp for air (I really ought to remember this next time the Collectors attack). "Son of a - Gabby!" I spit, wheezing and throwing off the duffel as I roll onto my back.

From this position, her face is haloed by a light hanging from the roof of the dock. Her fingers are at her lips as if covering a gasp, her eyes worried. I attempt to scoff, but only end up hacking up a lung. Typical Gabby: the girl never remembers to pull her punches. I blame the Brooklyn in her.

As if reading my mind (in all honesty, I wouldn't put it past her), her eyes flash and she converts the gesture into the appearance of casually blowing on her knuckles. The crew snickers behind her. Grimacing, I manage a glare. "The hell was that for?"

Pursing her lips, Gabby lightly pushes on my shoulder with her foot. "You're blocking the airlock, dumbass." An imperious toss of her brunette locks has the crew giggling again, but they can't see the wee smile creeping across her face. She cups her chin to hide it. "Unlike you, some people actually want to start their shore leave." Our audience oohs, but I know better.

Unlike the crew, I _know_ Gabby's smile. It's the meagerest hint of a smirk I've ever seen. You have to catch the tiniest twitch of her mouth out of the corner of your eye before she forces her face back into line. I'll never forget that first time I saw it, back at Tech Academy: the day she hid all my clothes in a last-ditch attempt to embarrass _me_ for once, and I turned it back on her by following her around campus in the kilt she had left, shouting _Braveheart_ quotes in my coarsest Highlands brogue. Even though I'd completely ruined her plans (and she told me as much - violently), in the end all she could do amidst her scolding was give me that wee little smile, the smile that says: "Kenneth Donnelly, you devilishly handsome Scottish rogue, how could I ever be mad at you?"

"Hello? Earth to Kenneth?" Gabby toes my arm this time. "Got anything to say for yourself?" she asks, and there it is again: that little twitch along the line of her mouth, lips pressed tightly together. She's _so_ determined not to give me the satisfaction. It's adorable.

_Not_ that she ever needs to know that. Aheh.

I loll my head back against the metal platform, still grinning. "Ah, I see now. So naturally you took the excuse to push me to floor and have your way with me."

Her blush is immediate and just a wee bit gratifying to my sensitive male ego. "Kenneth!" she hisses as the crew explodes into half-suppressed laughter behind her.

My face feels like it might split from smiling. The girl never could keep the odds in her favor. I take a moment to bask in her mortification and prop myself on my elbows to get a better view of her legs. Those spectacular legs.

With a quick shake of my head, I snap my eyes back up to her face, my grin mocking as can be and definitely not at all admiring in any way. "I know you're fond of verbal abuse, Engineer Daniels, but I think I might be a bit too delicate for your ministrations here."

The swift kick to my side is so completely worth it. "Get out of the way, Kenneth," she fumes, the crew howling behind her.

A smirk winds across my face. "Oh, I don't know. I kind of like it down here, getting you all hot and bothered."

Another sharp kick actually makes me double. When I look back up, her face is redder than my hair and at least twice as funny. "Get- up- you- pig," she spits, her knuckles white.

I clutch my injured side dramatically. "Shite! I always knew you were cruel, woman, but kicking a man while he's down - it's just so wrong!"

Gabby lurches down to my level, grabbing my shirt and yanking me into a sitting position inches from her face. I swallow and try not to get all hot and bothered myself. "I'll show you wrong-"

Suddenly, Shepard is pushing to the front of the crowd, cocking a brow and valiantly fighting back a smile. "As much as he deserves it, Daniels, can you manage to not assault Donnelly until we at least get off the docks?"

Despite all the friendly banter with the crew, we all know Shepard brooks no shenanigans. Plus, it's pretty clear that the Commander just threw me a bone there. I scramble to my feet with a clumsy salute and a relieved grin.

"Yes, Commander," Gabby manages, clenching her fists.

With a quick, amused nod in our direction, Shepard strides off the ship, Yeoman Chambers trotting behind to help manage the docking regulations and expenses. Scowling, Gabby yanks up her duffel bag and storms off after them, swatting me in the stomach with whatever the hell women carry that is so damnably heavy. "You're an ass," she mutters, shooting me a backwards glare as she steps out of the airlock.

"Agh! Damn it, Gabby," I mutter, sucking in a breath. Heaving myself off the wall of the Normandy, I scoop up my discarded duffel and stumble out after her. She's already halfway down the dock, too far for me to catch up. "Yes, but I'm a mighty fine ass!" I yell after her, just to wring one last smile out of her.

Gabby pauses in the door to the elevator, her hip cocked to one side to counterbalance her bag (not at all seductive in the slightest, no). She gives me a smug look over her shoulder that stops me in my tracks all the way back at the airlock door.

"Pssh. Kenneth, you aren't anywhere _near_ as fine as my ass."

And, satisfied with her quip, she sashays to the elevator and the Commander's waiting high-five before closing the door behind her, leaving me on Dock D24 to gape at her as she walks away. I watch the elevator doors slide up, up, and out of sight.

_Oh._ Oh-_ho_! So _two_ can play at this game. Well, alright, Miss Gabriella Daniels. If that's the way _you_ want to play it, who am I to deny you?

Still hooting, the crew filters out of the airlock, jostling me awake. With a grin, I adjust the strap of my duffel and start after them.

"Ouch. That looked like it hurt."

Somehow, I force back a grimace at the voice's amused Japanese lilt. Still, I slow my steps and keep my tone light. It's a truly awful idea to show any sort of weakness around Kasumi, _especially_ if it suggests that you don't enjoy her games (and I should know - her Skyllian Five is ruthless). "Only my pride, really," I reply, even adding a small, more or less genuine smile. It _is_ true, after all.

Her laugh sparkles as she pokes my side, directly where a bruise is now forming. I flinch. "Seems like a lot more than your pride," she smirks.

Fighting not to show too much of my eagerness to escape, I swat her wrist away. "I suppose you want in on the fun, Kasumi?" I ask, adjusting my bag to keep my hands busy. What I wouldn't give for my terminal in engineering right now...

She tsks, but her eyes glitter from the shadow of her hood. "So suspicious, Engineer Donnelly. _That_ can't be healthy for your relationships."

The smile that curls around the last word is downright devious. I can't help but roll my eyes. Seriously, how can a thief be so predictable? "Oh, I don't know," I reply snidely. "I get the impression that being suspicious around you improves the average man's life expectancy."

Her eyebrows arch, her lips curving. "Okay, so maybe I enjoy a little fun. But who says I want to have it at _your_ expense?"

Her lighthearted teasing fails to catch as I start towards the elevator. My voice comes out exasperated. "Isn't all your fun at someone's expense, Kasumi?"

Those lips twitch into a smile, too sly to be Gabby's. "Touché." She keeps pace just behind me. "But really, now, I've just got an idea, if you're up for a little intrigue."

Oh, hell no. I stop dead before the elevator doors, and she bounces right off the space between my shoulder blades. "What the devil are you planning, Kasumi?" I demand, turning to face her.

Recovering, she touches a finger to the corner of her mouth as innocently as she can manage. "Well, when you say it that way, of course it sounds bad."

"Right," I drone, crossing my arms. "I don't suppose you're posing like that to hide the canary feathers in your mouth, then?"

She hums, her lips curving ever so slightly upward. "_Some_one's flip today." But she steps back, hands raised. "Fine, fine. I'll let you get off the docks with _some_ dignity intact."

Her voice is still too amused, but sometimes even the Scots know when to pick their battles. I exhale. "Thank you. That's all I can ask for."

I turn my back to her just for a moment, just long enough to step into the elevator. But just as my foot touches down, fingers skim along my shoulder blades. "Oh, I wouldn't go thanking me just yet..."

I spin, my duffel crashing to the elevator floor, but the only person I can stare at is a flustered dock manager. A growl forces its way out of me. "Damn it, Kasumi!"

Her fading giggle echoes off the roof of the dock. I manage to glare up at the rafters right as the doors slide shut.

Christ, I hate shore leave.

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><p><em>Writing this first chapter of <em>Propulsion _was tough! _Able Bodied_ was my first in-depth experiment with first person narration. Seth Green employs such distinctive tics and turns of phrase when he speaks, and they were bleeding into my planned third person story, so I changed the piece to first person introspective in order to fully utilize his voice._

_After that piece, I decided that all my _Mass Effect _fics would feature first person perspective. _Mass Effect's _characters are what I love about the series. It's only natural that I would want to express them as clearly and purely as possible._

_But once you get out of introspection, your first person narrator has to start relating the events going on around them, which sometimes forces them to say things that don't seem to suit their usual conversation. And once you strip Kenneth of his pronounced Scottish accent, he's really just a regular guy. So this was a real struggle._

__This will be a four-parter, so look forward to the next chapter, __Power__, coming your way in a few days.__

__Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading.__


	2. Power

_I recommend that you read this one while slipping in and out of an affected, yet adorable, Brooklyn accent._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Power<strong>

The cab fees on the Citadel are absolutely ridiculous, but at this point, anything is worth getting away from Dock D24 as quickly as possible. Still, I can't help but fidget in the backseat. I'm tense, really tense, and compared to the engineering deck, the roomy cab might as well be claustrophobic. Plus, the leather interior is hard and uncomfortable. Joker would be having a fit.

Sighing, I stare out the window at the Citadel arms. The city lights flicker and glitter against the black metal, all hued in a soft orchid glow from the stars of the Serpent Nebula. My eyes glaze over the buildings and focus on the hazy purple clouds in the distance. From this distance, Widow almost looks like the Tantalus - a blazing orb swathed in misty light.

I sink lower in my seat. Normally, I'd never be so eager to leave the Normandy. I wasn't kidding when I called her the sweetest girl there is. Any engineer would have to be insane to ditch a ship like that, even for shore leave. Hell, when the Illusive Man made Kenneth that offer, _I _was the one who jumped right on it-

I growl as the blood rushes to my face and swipe at my cheek roughly. That jerk, embarrassing me like that in front of the entire crew! He's done worse before, I'm sure. I just can't remember any of it right now.

And that _look _he gave me from the floor-

No! Bad thoughts, Gabriella Daniels!

Slapping at my face lightly, I attempt to stretch my cramping legs in the confined space. My duffel bag rustles at my thigh. With a grumble, I kick it to the floor and splay my leg across the seat, wedging my back into the corner between the cushion and the door. For a moment, I long for my terminal back in engineering, with plenty of space to spread out and walk around.

And with Ken.

God damn it, do all my thoughts lead back to Kenneth?

I grimace out the window. Yeah, Shepard's high-five aside, that conversation had to rank as one of the top ten most embarrassing of my life, right after that time in the Academy with the kilt. I mean, at least I got the last word this time, but I did it by _directing his attention at my _(incredibly fine) _ass!_ Stupid Ken and his stupid sexist attitude - it's obviously contagious.

My eyes widen. It all makes so much sense now! That perv has infected me! I am _so_ going to kill him later.

With a grunt, I bury my face in my hands, fingers threading in my hairline. My temple hits the cab window with a thunk. The driver shoots me a tight frown over his shoulder, and I roll my eyes and mentally add another dollar to the total fee. Great. Why do I always get the uptight cabbies?

My brain replies in a vague Scottish accent: _Maybe because you're such a tight-ass yourself, Gabby?_

I snort reflexively, the corners of my mouth fighting their way upwards. "Pssh."

The Citadel skyline zips by the window, and with a sigh, I trace the tops of the buildings with my eyes. My temple throbs from hitting the glass.

That jerk. He just has no freakin' clue. Not one.

But in that moment, when he really, truly _gaped_...

I sink lower in the plush cab seat, frowning at the reflection of my face. My brow furrows, and I rub the sharp frown line above the bridge of my nose with my finger. Sighing, I smooth back my hair, fingering my split ends. My eyes press closed. Widow's outline is burned white on my retina. "Stupid Scottish jerkwad..."

"Ma'am?"

I slit my eyes open at the testy cab driver. "We've reached the Zakera Ward," he informs me. I force myself to exhale and exit the cab, slinging my duffel bag over my shoulder.

"Thanks," I reply tightly.

"Uh-huh." The cabbie nods at my activating omni-tool. "The meter'll automatically bill you."

I scowl at the sight of my draining bank account. "_Thanks,_" I repeat. If cab doors were slammable... Giving my head a quick shake to clear my mind, I stalk towards C-Sec clearance. "Don't spend it all in one place," I grumble as the cab flies off.

As the turian C-Sec officer proceeds with a body scan, I make the executive decision to _not_ think about my idiot best friend. I'm supposed to be taking a few days off from the Normandy, and that includes its engineers, human, quarian, or otherwise.

Of course, when the turian's scanner lingers near my (incredibly fine) ass for just a smidge too long, all I can think of is how Kenneth would've immediately entered angry Scottish stereotype mode, hauled off, and decked the guy. In an overly protective, asshole-ish older brother sort of way, obviously.

I clench my fists at my sides. Ken is _not_ going to ruin this itty-bitty shore leave for me. Nuh-uh. No way.

"You're clear to go in, Miss," the turian informs me. I nod as the door opens and stare into the neon of the Ward. A crowd of aliens mills about the level, chatting and laughing, the noise never rising above a general murmur (with the exception of two krogran arguing loudly about fish). A few C-Sec officers stand by in case of trouble, but even they are relaxed, leaning back and telling cop jokes to each other. An asari and her date enter the gift shop, and the doorbell loudly chimes, "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!"

Ken does a great impression of that one.

I shake my head. Deep breaths, Gabby. Your asshole friend isn't here to embarrass you.

So naturally, I step into the Ward and embarrass myself without his assistance.

"Gabriella!"

I shriek and jump back from the advertisement, dropping my duffel. Engineering is quiet. The most sensation you usually get is subtle shifts in the g-forces and the gentle background hum of machinery. It's peaceful, really. Hell, you could probably stare into the drive core and achieve enlightenment.

So the booming voice emerging from advertisement nearly scares the life out of me.

Which, of course, draws the attention of the entire floor as the recorded asari continues:

"Are you looking for a... _good_ time?"

I can feel my face burning as the crowd sort of titters. I mean, the krogan guffaw, which isn't so bad. The humans punch each other in the shoulders, snickering, which I can cope with. But the turians twitch their mandibles in a restrained sort of way, and the asari cover their smiles demurely, which is just patronizing enough to make me turn a shade of red to rival Ken's hair.

God, I look like such a tourist.

I grab my duffel bag to stalk away as the voice persists:

"Drinks from a hundred worlds?"

I stop. There's something, _something_ familiar about that lilted phrase...

"Games?"

I turn to frown at the recorded asari, whose mouth doesn't quite line up with her voice.

"Perhaps a little... companionship?"

My frown line must be a canyon by now, but I really don't care. I can hear the catlike smile curling around the words.

"Maybe one Kenneth Donnelly?"

The self-satisfied tone of the question allows a light Japanese accent to bleed in. I fight the urge to overload the advertisement and walk right up to that smug recorded asari face.

"Kasumi," I hiss.

The thief maintains perfect composure, but I can hear the grin in her voice. "The Dark Star. One level up." Her voice lowers to a purr: "He'll see you there."

I punch the holographic display, but my fist passing through empty air doesn't really have the effect I was going for. Scowling, I shake out my fingers and glare at the rafters. The crowd murmurs in amusement, but thankfully it starts to disperse.

And that's when the advert lights up again.

"Oh, no," I manage before Kasumi booms:

"Miss Daniels, a woman of your beauty deserves the finest in biotic technology."

"I'm not even a biotic!" I snap, as if that will somehow stop the onslaught. As if that will make the crowd stop turning around to look at my flaming red face.

"The next time you're out on the town with Engineer Donnelly..."

My legs start marching away of their own volition. I shove my way through the crowd, drawing impressed smirks from the krogan in the audience. But the moment I'm out of range, another advert fizzles and displays that damn asari face.

"...the new Sophist biotic amplifier from the Serrice Council..."

I break into a run, tromping up the stairs to level 28 and past a news holo, which flickers and adds:

"...is the perfect accessory."

I push through the crowd of level 28, tumble into Rodam Expeditions and shove past an affronted salarian, thwacking him in the stomach with my bag. The store clerk jumps as his shop's doorbell blares:

"I'm Commander Shepard, and Ken and Gabby are my favorite couple on the Citadel."

A strangled yell escapes me. I cover my ears and run back out, slamming my back against the nearest empty wall. I look left, then right - no advertisements, no news holos. The entrance to the Dark Star doesn't have a doorbell. This wall is currently the safest possible location. From my position of relative security, I glare upward at the shadows of the ceiling.

Then the Avina terminal twitches and announces in an eerie blend of recorded salarian and VI voices:

"Gabriella, could I have a moment of your time?"

"God DAMN it!" I scream into the rafters, startling a few nearby civilians and prompting that nosy reporter bitch to gleefully turn on her camera. Avina continues, echoing the text of the salarian's advertisement:

"I was just thinking of what a pity it is that you can't enjoy the advantage of true 360-degree holoprojection display."

It turns out that a hacked Avina terminal draws a lot of attention. The entire ward is silent as the VI continues in that falsely innocent, MIDI-toned voice:

"If you were watching this on the new Mannovai 'Avatar' wide-field surround-vid projector, you could see that there's a naked Ken Donnelly behind me."

And in that exact moment of ultimate, life-ending embarrassment, the entire Ward goes black.

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><p><em>So there was a bit of delay on this chapter, but on the plus side, the next piece, <em>Observation, _is virtually complete, so it should be up a tad quicker than this one._

_As with the previous chapter, I struggled a bit with Gabby's voice. I've actually had this chapter written more or less since I published _Propulsion,_ but I spent the entire delay trying to enhance Gabby's turns of phrase and mannerisms. It's hard to perfect her - she's in a semi-constant state of exasperation, and depending on the situation she leans angry or humiliated. You have to balance it._

_[EDIT: Adjusted some lines I didn't like and added some description.]_

_This fic might end up being just a three-parter; the narrative has shifted a bit. But regardless, _Observation_ should be coming soon!_

_Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading._


	3. Observation

_Just to keep up the pattern, I recommend that you read this chapter in a very smug, vaguely Japanese lilt._

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Observation<strong>

I blink as my eyes rapidly adjust to the darkness. Hurried, nervous chatter is already bubbling from the crowd - children crying for their mothers, lost in the black. I can't help but scoff up in the rafters. The _people_ in these glorified nightclubs they call wards. You can tell they've never known what it's like to really live in the shadows.

Honestly, it can be so easy to look down on them.

Shapes start to define themselves in the mass. I carefully scan the crowd. The civilians shift, restless, and I spot a steady, unmoving form pressed against the wall by the (now thankfully silent) Avina terminal.

Judging from the way Gabby's silhouetted face is angled slightly upwards as if searching the rafters (smart girl), she's as clueless as I am to the source of the blackout - though I have a hunch that a certain Scottish power engineer might be involved. I mean, the Citadel of all places should have backup generators upon backup generators, even for the Wards. No, this is definitely sabotage.

Still, for all I know, I could've gotten careless and overloaded the grid with my pop-up blitz.

Of course, I'm _never_ careless.

So naturally I power up my omni-tool and check the tracking dot I planted on Ken back at the elevator. And sure enough, a tiny orange blip is motoring away from the Zakera Ward's maintenance access. I smirk as the blip heads straight for the stairs, moving up.

Just as planned.

Okay, fine, so I didn't expect him to cut _all_ the power, but heroically swooping in to save his girlfriend from humiliation? Definitely. After hearing about Ken's _very_ public defense of Commander Shepard - and watching the grainy encrypted Cerberus video footage of it to boot - I figured Ken would go to equally crazy lengths to protect someone he knew personally, especially if that person was one Gabriella Daniels.

_This_, though... well, this was a little more crazy than I'd bargained for.

With a sigh, I eye the moving dot skeptically. The man certainly doesn't do anything in half-measures, but sabotaging an _entire_ ward for a girl, well... I can see why Cerberus tapped him. For all the trouble it can cause, Ken doesn't hold back.

I can respect that.

Pursing my lips, I peer down from the rafters at the crowd in level 28. Gabby, clever girl that she is, has fired up her omni-tool for light, and others have begun to follow suit. As the orange glow floods the ward, I can't help but recall that off-handed comment I made to Shep on Omega.

The Citadel is so rarely dark. To have it lit by the simple light of the living - I couldn't have set a better mood myself.

I swing down to a lower beam to get closer to the action. The turians take charge, of course, organizing the crowd - is everyone ok, does anyone need medical attention, blah blah blah, that sort of thing. Gabby helps them herd everyone into Rodam Expeditions, where the turian store clerk has MacGyvered some kind of backup power source. Shep would be proud of the leadership gesture, I think. I'll have to mention it later, back on the ship.

But once everyone is inside, Gabby falls back against the outer wall of the shop and scrubs her orange-lit cheek with a free palm. A twinge of guilt twists my gut. I adore Gabby, I really do. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't.

But even _I_ can tell that was a bit much.

Crouching on my rafter, I whisper down to her, "I promise this is all going to be worth it in the end, Gab." Not that it's much consolation, since she can't hear me. I'll make it up to her later.

In the quiet of the blackout, the footsteps on the stairs might as well be cannon fire. The pure determination on Ken's orange-lit face as he strides onto level 28 could inspire poetry. Even I have to admire the figure he cuts. Crazy? Yes. But the man has no hesitation. He didn't even stop when he saw his first advertisement; just went straight for main power and then straight for her. He doesn't even stop now to glare at the rafters.

A girl could fall for a guy like that.

I turn on the microphone in the tracking dot as Ken spots his target.

"Gabby!"

Her head jerks up as he crosses the platform and grasps her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

She shoves him away, but the push is half-hearted. "Do I _look_ alright, Ken?" she snaps, her voice wavering. Tear tracks glitter on her orange cheeks, and another pang of guilt coils in my stomach. I'm going to have to throw so many games of Skyllian Five...

"Gab-" Ken murmurs, swiping a rough thumb across her cheek. She sniffs, and he shuts his omni-tool off to slip his arms around her. Gabby presses her forehead into his shoulder, her hands resting on his lower back. He holds her while the shadows watch in reverent silence.

"Think Joker would help us shoot Kasumi out the airlock?"

Gabby's snort makes me feel a _little_ less insulted. "I bet EDI would help if we convinced her it would be funny," she replies.

Ken chuckles, and it actually rumbles in the mic. I'm slightly impressed. Then he gives her one last squeeze and (here I let out a quiet 'nooo!') pulls away. Gabby, thank God, catches his hands as he steps back.

"Ken, did you do this?" she asks, motioning to the darkened ward.

Even in the shadows, Ken's blush is luminescent. "W-well, I couldn't very well let her keep _going_, could I?" His voice trickles off to a whisper. "So I went and fried the power grid."

Gabby's shock practically crackles in the air. "You _what?_!"

"Shhh-sh-sh-sh! You _want_ to get me arrested?" he whispers, grabbing her shoulders tightly now.

"Kenneth!" She swats his hands away. "You- _Why?_!"

"Oh, like I was gonna let her do that to you," he retorts, arms crossed. "Really, Gab, are you that dense?"

"But the _entire_ ward?"

"Well, I'm sorry; I thought the entire station would be a bit much."

Gabby fumes silently for a moment, then punches him in the head hard enough to make _me_ wince. Ken staggers back, aghast.

"What the devil was that for, woman? I thought you'd be grateful!"

"_Grateful?_!" she repeats, astounded. "You-" She throttles the air in front of her ineffectively. "You just don't _get it_, do you?"

Ken, to his credit, doesn't shy away, though he warily eyes her hands strangling a whole lot of nothing. "What the hell are you on about, Gabby?"

"What am I going to do, Ken?" She flings her arms out, questioning. "What am I going to do when you _do_ get arrested for something like this, huh? What then?"

He blinks at her in the dim orange glow. "Well, I'd _hope_ you'd break me out," he replies bluntly. "That's what I'd do for you."

And _that_. That is the crux of it.

I smile catlike up in the rafters as Gabby stares at Ken, awareness dawning across her face. Sensing the sudden shift, Ken swallows as her eyes slowly travel down his form and back up to meet his nervous gaze.

"That's right," she says.

More blinking. He takes a step back, wary. I suppose it's fair enough. She _did_ just punch him in the head, after all, and now she's looking at him very, very intently. It must be hard to tell whether or not her face is predatory in that orange light.

"Kenneth?"

The poor boy almost jumps. "Yes?"

Gabby advances on him, achingly slow. I'm almost proud. "Would you really break me out?" she asks.

His brow furrows as he backs toward the empty games kiosk. "I just shut down an entire ward for you, and you need to ask?" She stops mere inches away, cocking a brow to rival Shep's. Ken snorts. "Of course I'd break you out." When he looks back, he realizes that she has closed the distance between them. Flushing bright red, he goes for his safety net: self-deprecation. "I mean, weren't _you _the one who said I'd fall apart without you?"

Gabby takes another step, pinning him to the counter of the games kiosk. "That's right," she breathes, just before capturing his lips.

* * *

><p><em>So when I said <em>Observation _was coming soon, obviously I meant within the hour._

_Actually, I didn't realize just how close to done it was. I had nothing typed, just a rough draft written out in my notebook. But Kasumi's speech came very naturally to me, much in the way Joker's did for _Able Bodied. _It's amazing how much more quickly you can write when you have a good grasp of your narrative voice._

_Kasumi also has a narrator's flair, though - I can really hear her giving lush descriptions of things. She always struck me as a poetic sort, at least; I suppose it's more that she has a dramatic sensibility, what with the red rose calling card and all that. That sort of thing lends itself well to narration._

_It turns out that this will indeed be a four-parter. I think __chapter four, _Coupling, _will arrive in a week or so. I have spare time over Easter weekend, so I might get it done sooner. No promises, though. I encourage you to guess whose perspective it will be written in (though I suppose the title might make it rather obvious)!_

_Let me know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading._


	4. Coupling

_I recommend that you read this however you feel is most appropriate - but just a smidgen of "space marine" might help._

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Coupling<strong>

I hate to admit it, but a wave of relief hits me when I step through the Normandy's airlock doors. Even though I was the one to approve the shore leave, somehow I knew that it wouldn't be much of a break for me. In a way, being on the Normandy is the only real shore leave I have - my only reprieve from being the "Hero of the Galaxy." I'm not on some desperate mission to save everyone and everything at all times. No, on the Normandy, I'm just issuing orders. The crew does all the work. Hell, Joker has more to worry about than anyone.

And if I want to help out one of my squad with a minor errand, it's for no other reason than because I want to. _Not_ because I'm the hero completely incapable of ignoring the most minor of requests, _not_ because that person is offering something I need as a reward for playing fetch, not for _any reason_ other than that I care about my crew.

After _that_ shore leave, though, I might not want to run any errands for... at least a week. Two weeks, max.

Which is why I have to suppress an irritated sigh when Kasumi materializes beside me as I enter the CIC. "Man, that was a hell of a shore leave, huh, Shepard?" she asks, rounding the Galaxy Map with me.

I exhale as we reach my terminal. Tapping the display, I flick through my inbox, staring at the titles without actually seeing the words. "I know. With the power outage, I had to spend the whole time helping Bailey get the emergency lighting to work."

Kasumi winces sympathetically. "Sounds rough."

"It wasn't that bad." Stifling a yawn, I give up on checking my messages and shut off the terminal. "Just... disappointing." I turn to face Kasumi fully. "I had hoped to take a break from doing everything all the time."

"I hear you," she nods, her eyes gentle beneath her hood. She crosses her arms, which is what Kasumi does when she wants to hug you but feels that you wouldn't find the gesture appropriate. It's sweet, really - a rare moment of sensitivity and tact from her.

I return the sentiment with a small smile, but another thought interrupts me. I sigh and shake my head. "I just hope that the extra hour of leave I gave Garrus and Tali will be enough, seeing how they were my support team during the emergency light debacle."

Kasumi actually squeezes my arm encouragingly. "They understand. I know they do."

I manage a real smile this time. "Thanks, Kasumi."

"Anytime," she beams, but her face falls suddenly, and she twiddles her fingers as she steps back. "Listen, Shep, I hate to send you running around some more, but maybe you ought to check _our_ engines. Just in case."

I furrow my brow, leaning against the console. "I'm sure Tali and the others have it under control."

Impatience flickers across her face, but it's gone in an instant. I almost dismiss it, but then Kasumi squeezes her crossed arms, controlling herself.

So much for sensitivity and tact.

"Oh, come on, Shep," she says. "It can't hurt, right?"

Straightening, I cross my arms, too, tipping my face up just slightly to study her at a different angle. "What's your game, Kasumi?"

She makes a surprised face, which is what Kasumi does when she isn't surprised at all. "Game? _Honestly_, Shep. I'm just worried that an electrical sabotage like _that_ could've fried something while the ship was hooked up to the dock."

I stop short. "Sabotage? No one said anything about sabotage."

Rolling her eyes, Kasumi rests her hands on her hips. "Come _on_, Shep. The Citadel has backup systems after backup systems, and then there are the Keepers to boot. You _really_ think that was just a 'catastrophic generator failure'?"

She keeps drumming her fingers against her sides. Her lips purse a little of their own accord.

For a thief, Kasumi has a lot of tells.

I step back, eyeing her. "What _aren't_ you telling me, Kasumi?"

She widens her eyes at me, shifting her weight to one hip. "Shep, really, I can't be a little concerned-" I raise my eyebrows. She frowns and turns away, crossing her arms in an entirely non-sweet way. "Oh, for the love of..." Her face shifts: a flicker of realization, followed by an abrupt scowl. Under her breath, she mutters, "I. Am a moron." She expels a breath and announces at normal volume, "Well, _maybe_ I saw Miss Gabriella Daniels helping guide civilians into Rodam Expeditions when the lights went out and thought you might want to recognize her leadership efforts."

I am unconvinced. "Why didn't you just say that? I'd be happy to recognize Gabby."

"_Maybe_ I thought you wouldn't believe me," she retorts, pouting at the galaxy map.

Now I am thoroughly unconvinced. "Kasumi, you're not making any sense."

"Oh, would you just get down to Engineering?!" she snaps.

I raise my hands in surrender, stepping back. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Obviously this is important to you."

"Yes. Thank you. Go." She pushes me into the elevator. The doors ding shut on her impatient frown.

I stand in awkward silence as the elevator whirs down to Engineering. I'd stretch, but I'm sort of worried Kasumi might pounce on me if I behave in any way other than absolute obedience.

The doors ding open, and I step out onto the viewing platform for the lower deck. I'd stop to survey the vehicles for a moment, but with Kasumi's irritation fresh on my mind, I turn and head straight for the opposite deck, where Ken and Gabby should be working. I pass through the stairwell and walk straight through the doors to the Engineering Deck.

Where Ken has Gabby pressed up against the wall beside their terminals, with her arms around his neck and his hands sliding up her shirt.

I turn right around and walk straight back to the viewing platform. I stare at the lower deck until my eyes burn. A phantom giggle echoes through my mind - Kasumi, always gossiping about how perfect they'd be together. Of course. This is all her handiwork. She's probably giggling with Joker now at the surveillance vid of me walking in on my engineers. At least they were too... _busy_ to notice me. I hope. If they weren't... I groan and thunk my forehead against the window.

God, I could _really_ use some shore leave.

**END**

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><p><em>That took long enough, didn't it?<em>

_I know, I know - "Screennameless, you made me wait months, MONTHS I tell you, for a 1,000 word chapter!" Yes, I did, because I am picky. You see, the original plan for this chapter was to actually _show_ Shepard, Tali, and Garrus turning on the emergency lights, with Kasumi luring Shep upstairs to find Ken and Gabby. But it just wasn't working. I had issues like, "Why aren't they just fixing the generators? How the hell did Ken actually ruin the generators so much, anyway?" And on and on. All these technical issues were getting in the way of the conclusion, which broke down to, "Shepard finds them. The end." And I just couldn't get around them if I used that scenario._

_So today, months later, I sat down and said, "Goddammit, I am going to write something to wrap this up, even if it is not up to my usual length or standards." And this was the result._

_So, as always, thanks for reading and please, please let me know how I should improve it, because I really am disappointed with it, but I was tired of leaving you guys hanging._


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